Portable fire-escape.



E. D. PARKER & A. E. OVERHOLSER.

PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1911.

1,069,900. Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. D. PARKER & A. E. OVERHOLSER.

PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1911.

1,069,900. Patented Aug. 12, 1 913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ENTTED STATES PATENT @FFTEEJ EDWIN D. PARKER AND ALDEN E. OVERHOLSER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO; SAID PARKER ASSIGNOR TO SAID OVERHOLSEB.

PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 19, 1911.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Serial No. 639,277.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN D. PARKER and rrLDnN E. OVERHOLSER, citizens of the United States, "residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to portable fire escapes, and the object of the same is to provide a small, compact fire escape which will accommodate a very long cable or supporting member and which will be provided with means to resist the paying out of said cable according to the weight of the body supported by said cable or supporting member.

To this end it is a further object of the invention to provide a small flat casing within which the supporting member or cable is wound; to mount within this casing cooperating friction devices to resist the un winding of the supporting member; and to provide means for adjusting the relative movement of the friction devices.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of a fire escape embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view, taken centrally through the fire escape shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of a modified form of the invention; Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view taken centrally through Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the brake members of the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4."

In carrying out our invention we provide a small disk-like casing 1 within which the supporting member and its controlling mechanism are mounted. This casing has secured thereto, and preferably cast integral therewith, an eye or ring 2, by means of which a belt or other body attaching device may be secured to the casing. The casing is preferably round and comparatively flat having its side members 3 and etsubstan tially parallel and spaced a comparatively short distance apart. The side wall 3 of the casing is provided with a relatively large opening 5 which is preferably circular and the side wall 4 is provided with a much smaller opening also circular, as shown at G. Rotatably mounted within the casing 1 is an annular reel or drum 7 having a flexible supporting member 8 coiled thereon. In the present instance this supporting member is shown as a flat tape of steel and is wound about the reel in a single coil. The inner end of the tape is secured to the reel, as indicated at 9, and the outer end thereof extends through an opening 10 in the periphery of the casing and is provided on its outer end with a ring 11 or other suitable device by means of which a belt or body supporting device may be connected thereto. The opening 10 in the periphery of the casing is arranged in a line extending at substantially right angles to the line of the ring 2 of the casing. Consequently, when the casing is supported by the ring 2 and a downward pull is exerted upon the outer end of the supporting member the casing will be swung slightly to one side and the supporting member or tape will be paid out in a straight line with little or no bend and without the use of guides of any kind. The reel 7, as here shown, is slightly larger in diameter than the opening 5 in the side wall 3 of the casing and has one end flat to engage the flat inner surface of the side wall 4 and has the other end provided with a reduced portion 12 which extends into the opening 5 of the side wall 3 and which forms a shoulder 13 to engage the inner surface of the side wall 3 and retain the reel against outward movement. The reduced portion 12 of the reel constitutes a trunnion which is journaled in the bearing formed by the opening 5 in the side wall 3. The reel being of a greater diameter than the opening 5 in the side wall of the casing, it is preferable that the casing should be made in two parts to permit the insertion of the reel. These parts are, in the present instance, shown as connected one to the other by means of pins 14 extending through apertures 15 formed in. the two parts of the casing.

A suitable brake is applied to the reel 7 to control the speed at which the reel rotates and, consequently, the speed at which the supporting member is paid out. Preferably, this brake is a friction brake and, in the preferred form of the device, the annular reel 7 is provided on its inner side with a friction surface. In that form of the device shown in Figs. 1. and 2 this friction surface is formed on the inner periphery of the reel and this periphery is tapered, as indicated at 16. Mounted within the reel and cooperating with the friction surface thereof is a friction member 17' having its periphery tapered to correspond to the taper of the friction surface 16. The friction mem ber 17 is frusto-conical in shape and the annular reel 7 may revolve about the same at a speed which is controlled by the weight of the body carried by the supporting memher and by the frictional contact between the friction member 17 and the friction surface of the reel. This frictional contact may be regulated and, to this end, means are provided which may be operated from the exterior of the casing-to. move the friction member 17'. toward or away from thefriction surface of the reel. Means: are also pro.- vided to hold the friction member against rotation relatively to the casingwhile allow-- ing it to be adjusted transversely thereto. To this end the friction member is preferably provided in its inner end. with a series of recesses or slots 18 adapted to receive lugs 19 rigidly secured to the side wall 4- of the casing and extendinginwardlyv therefrom. The depth of the recesses 18- is such. as to allow sufficient movement on the part of the friction member to enable the frictional contact between said member and the friction surface of the reel tobe regulated. Rotatably mounted, in the opening 6 in the side wall 4 of the casingis a stud 20 having its inner end screw-threaded into the body of the f-rictionmember 17. The stud 20. is held against longitudinal; movement relatively to the casing, but is free to rotate in the opening 6 which constitutes. a bearing therefor. The longitudinal movement of the stud may be prevented in; any suitable manner, but, in the presentinstance, we have secured a plate 21 to the outer end of the stud. This plate bears against the outer surface of the side wall t and prevents the inward movement of the stud. The outward movement of the stud is prevented by apin 22 extending through the same within. the casing and: bearing against the inner surface of. the wall 4;

that when the stud is rotated the friction member 17 will be caused to travel onv the screw-threaded portion thereof and will be moved. toward or away from.v the friction surface of the reel according to the direction of rotation of the stud so as to regu late the speed of the reel. Preferably, a scale 2 1. is secured to the outer surface of the wall 4 of the casing and the han'dpiece 23 is provided with a pointer 25- which travels over the scale 24- andindicates the amount of resistance which the'brake mech; anism. will offer to the rotation of the reel and. the paying out of the flexible supporting member. This scale preferably reads in pounds and indicates the number of pounds that will descend safely on the supporting member when the brake device is set in the manner indicated by the pointer 25. The opening 5 in the side wall 3 of the casing is preferably closed by a plate 26 which overlaps the edges of the open ing and is rigidly secured by means of screws or otherwise to the reel 7. This plate is, therefore, rotatable with the reel and is provided with a handle 27 by means of which the plate and the reel may be rotated to rewind. the flexible supporting member after the same has been unwound. The handle 27 is mounted on a pivoted arm 28 which is so mounted on the plate 2.6 that the handle 27 canbe folded inward and caused to extend through an opening 29 in the plate and into the stud 20 which is preferably hollow, thus leaving the outer surface of the, casing substantially smooth.

The, operation of the device will be obvious. from the foregoing description and it. will be understood that when it is desired to use the fire escape either the casing 1 or the end. of the supporting member 8 may be secured. to any fixed part of the building or to a piece of furniture within the room from which it is desired to escape and the end of the supporting member or the casing, as the case may be, is then attached to the body of the person who desires to descend, by means of a belt or other-suitable device. The brake mechanism having been set to. lower a weight corresponding to the weight of the person who-desires to descend, this weight being indicated by the pointer 25, the said person may drop from the window and will be slowly and safely lowered to the ground. If there are other persons who desire to descend after the first person has descended the casing willbe secured to the fixed part of the building and the person descendingwillgo down on the end of the supporting member. After the first person has reached the ground and detached the supporting member this will be rewo-und within the cas ing'and the operation repeated until the last person is ready to descend. Then the connectionsof the fire escape are preferably re versed, the end of the supporting member being fixed to. the building and the casing being secured to the body of the person to descend. Thus, the fire escape itself is lowered with the person descending and may be preserved. Further, by securing the casingto the body of: the'person descending this personmay control the speed of descent by manipulating the hand piece 23 on the casing to tighten or loosen the brake mechanism.

It; Will be obvious that many forms of brake mechanism. may be mounted within the casing to act upon the friction surface carried by the annular reel. In Figs. 3 and 4 we have illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the friction surface carried by the inner side of the annular reel 7 is substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the reel, as indicated at 30. A series of brake shoes 31 are movably mounted within the reel and are arranged to be moved into and out of engagement with the friction surface thereof. To this end each brake shoe is preferably secured to a bell crank lever 32 near the angle thereof and one arm of this lever is pivotally mounted on a lug 33 carried by the side wall 4 of the casing. The other arm of the lever extends inwardly toward the center of the casing and the arms of the several bell crank levers are grouped about this center. A stud 34 is rotatably mounted in the side walls of the casing and is provided for a portion of its length with a screw-thread 35 upon which is mounted a screw-threaded nut 36. This nut is held against rotation with the stud preferably by providing it with notches .to receive the lugs 36 carried by the side wall of the casing. The stud 34 is held against longitudinal movement relatively to the casing, and, consequently, when rotatory movement is imparted thereto, the nut 36 will be moved toward or away from the inwardly extending arms of the bell crank levers and these levers caused to move about their pivotal centers. To move the brake shoes 31 toward the friction surface of the reel or to permit the brake reel to be moved away from said surface the stud 34 is provided on one end with a plate 37 which bears against the outer surface of the side wall 4 of the casing and holds the stud against longitudinal movement in one direction. The other end of the stud extends through acentral opening formed in the plate 38 which closes the opening 5 in the side wall 3 and is held in fixed relation thereto by means of a pin 39 which extends through the projecting end of the stud 34 and fits in notches 40 formed in a boss 41 arranged about the center of the plate 38. This plate being secured to the reel and rotating therewith will permit the free rotation of the stud 34 butwill hold the same against longitudinal movement. If desired the stud may be mounted in a ball bearing to facilitate its rotation. To this end the plate 38 is provided with a recess or pocket 42 surrounding the stud 34. A bearing plate or washer 43 is placed within the bottom of the pocket 42 and an annular series of balls 44 arranged about the stud in engagement with the plate 43. These balls are preferably mounted in a spacing device 45 which is here shown as comprising a collar having a series of apertures to receive the balls but permit the same to rotate freely therein. A second bearing plate or washer 46 is mounted on the stud and engages the outer side of the balls 44. The second washer is held in position by means of a nut 47 screwthreaded on the outer end of the stud 34. The plate 37, which is rigidly secured to the stud 34, is provided with hand pieces or projections 48 and the operation of the device is the same as that above described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that we have provided a fire escape which is of a very small, compact character, being of such a size and weight that it can be readily carried in a satchel or hand bag without monopolizing any considerable portion of the space therein. The device as constructed is only six inches in diameter by one inch in thickness and the casing and such parts as do not require great strength are made of aluminum and the weight of the device is thus further reduced. Further, it will be apparent that the device is very simple in its construction and operation, there being no complicated adjustments and no mechanism that is liable to break or to become disarranged and interfere with the operation of the device when it is needed. It will further be apparent that the device may be very quickly and accurately adjustedto accommodate the same to weights of different persons, thereby enabling any person to descend in safety with the device.

lVhile we have shown and described two forms of the fire escape it will be understood that these are shown for the purpose of illustration only and that we do not wish to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fire escape comprising a casing having its side walls spaced a short distance apart and an opening in each to form bearings, a hollow annular reel rotatably mounted in said casing, having a fiat flexible supporting device wound around its outer periphery, a plate secured to said reel and forming a closure for one of said openings, means secured to said plate for rotating said reel, a friction device cooperating with said reel, a trunnion on said reel mounted in the bearing in one of the side walls, a stud mounted in the bearing in the other side wall and secured against longitudinal movement, said stud being adapted to engage the friction device and adjust it, and means secured to said stud for rotating it.

2. A fire escape comprising a casing having its side walls spaced a short distance apart and an opening in each to form bearings, a hollow annular reel rotatably mounted in said casing and having its inner periphery tapered and a flat flexible supporting device wound around its outer periphto engage the friction device and move it longitudinally thereof, and means secured to said stud for rotating it.

In testimony whereof, We aflix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN D. PARKER. ALDEN E. OVERHOLSER. Witnesses E. O. HAGAN, HARRIET L. I-IAMMAKER.

ery, a plate secured to said reel and forming a closure for one of said openings, means-secured to said plate for rotating said reel, a friction device mounted in said reel and havsurface of said reel, a trunnion on said reel mounted in the bearing in one of the side Walls, a stud mounted in the bearing in the other side Wall and secured against longitudinalmovement, said stud being adapted 1- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. I); C'. 

